Andhra urges Centre to expedite Bhogapuram airport's construction

Amaravati, Oct 20 Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy has urged the Centre to expedite the construction of the Bhogapuram airport near Visakhapatnam.

Reddy is currently on a visit to New Delhi and met with Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to hold discussions about the airport.

Reddy said he discussed the operational changes needed with regard to the Visakhapatnam airport and the naval airport in the city.

Bhogapuram airport is planned to be single-runway airport, capable of handling the world's largest aircraft.

Some key facilities planned at Bhogapuram airport include aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility, research and development centre, and test laboratories.

The state Minister said that permission from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Airports Authority of India (AAI) for Orvakal airport near Kurnool have also been sought.

Reddy said that Orvakal airport has been completed and would be inaugurated in November.

He said that the government was eyeing licence fee concessions with regard to the Orvakal airport.

Located 26 km from Kurnool, Orvakal airport aims to serve the second largest district in Andhra Pradesh. The state plans to develop Kurnool as a hub for mineral-based industries and food processing.

( With inputs from IANS )